Fungal-fungal co-culture: a primer for generating chemical diversity

Nat Prod Rep. 2022 Aug 17;39(8):1557-1573. doi: 10.1039/d1np00070e.

Abstract

Covering: 2002 to 2020In their natural environment, fungi must compete for resources. It has been hypothesized that this competition likely induces the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites for defence. In a quest to discover new chemical diversity from fungal cultures, a growing trend has been to recapitulate this competitive environment in the laboratory, essentially growing fungi in co-culture. This review covers fungal-fungal co-culture studies beginning with the first literature report in 2002. Since then, there has been a growing number of new secondary metabolites reported as a result of fungal co-culture studies. Specifically, this review discusses and provides insights into (1) rationale for pairing fungal strains, (2) ways to grow fungi for co-culture, (3) different approaches to screening fungal co-cultures for chemical diversity, (4) determining the secondary metabolite-producing strain, and (5) final thoughts regarding the fungal-fungal co-culture approach. Our goal is to provide a set of practical strategies for fungal co-culture studies to generate unique chemical diversity that the natural products research community can utilize.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products* / metabolism
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Fungi* / metabolism

Substances

  • Biological Products